North America & Oceania

“Hobbit” Star Endorses Gay Marriage in New Zealand Amid Dispute Over Role Churches Could Play

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Actor and gay rights advocate Sir Ian McKellen says he would like to get married in New Zealand.

“Hobbit” star Sir Ian McKellen said he hopes New Zealand lawmakers pass the marriage equality bill so that he may be able to get married in the country. (Photo Courtesy of Radio New Zealand)

In a video message to a marriage equality conference in Wellington, the “Hobbit” star said he supported the Marriage Amendment Bill, which has passed its first reading in Parliament and now is being considered by a select committee.

“I hope that by the time I get back to Middle Earth, I might even be able to get married,” he said.

McKellen, who has spent a considerable amount of time in New Zealand playing the role of Gandalf in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings, said the world has looked to the country for “social advancement” ever since it became the first country to give women the right to vote.

“It will be a popular move, I know, and I’m glad your major political parties have embraced it.,” he added.

The endorsement came after considerable debate in New Zealand over the autonomy churches would have if the law were passed.

The bill contains a provision that churches are authorized but not required to marry gay, lesbian, or transgender couples who wanted to be married.  The bill’s sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, has repeatedly said she wanted churches to maintain their freedom of religion and expression.  The Human Rights Commission also has endorsed this provision.

But some opponents and legal experts said that a law change would make it unlawful for churches to turn people away.

“If this goes forward, then churches will be required to open their premises to gay marriages,” Baptist minister Scott Lelievre told The New Zealand Herald.

“I guess if we have to go to jail, then we have to [go to] jail,” he added.  “There’s a long and honorable history of Christians going to jail, so we would not be the first.”

Family First NZ and 24 members of the Victoria University law faculty also called into question the interpretation of the law by the HRC and MP Wall.  Family First NZ’s national director, Bob McCoskrie, said the HRC specifically should not be depended on for independent legal analysis because it has lobbied for this bill since the very beginning.

“Based on the interpretation of [the church exception provision] by the HRC and Louisa Wall, a marriage celebrant could lawfully decline to marry a particular couple because they are of different races or because the marriage celebrant disliked persons of a certain race,” McCoskrie said.  “Of course, that is completely unlawful and would quite rightly breach . . . the NZ Bill of Rights Act.”

Family First NZ also said it obtained legal opinions from Barrister Ian Bassett that indicated the law, if passed, would not allow churches to lawfully decline to marry gay couples because the provision itself does not authorize discrimination based on sexual orientation.

For further information, please see:

Radio New Zealand — Actor Eyes Same-Sex Marriage in Middle Earth — 1 December 2012

The New Zealand Herald — Gay Choice for Churches — 23 November 2012

Stuff.co.nz — Gay Marriage ‘Not Forced on Churches’ — 23 November 2012

Voxy.co.nz — Legal Experts Dispute Human Rights Commission on Gay Marriage — 22 November 2012

Human Trafficking Rings Busted in New York, Call Attention to National Issue

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States — New York State Police announced on Thursday they arrested nine people connected to a sex trafficking operation in upstate New York involving a minor.

Colorado authorities fear Kara Nichols, 19, may have fallen to sex trafficking while attending a modeling gig in Denver last month. (Photo Courtesy of The Daily News)

After a nine-month investigation, Troopers charged Lynette Tilden of Utica, Edward Tilden of Orwell, and Alexandria Davall of Utica with felony trafficking.  Troopers said the Tildens—25- and 30-years-old, respectively—used an online classifieds website called Backpage.com to advertise in the Northeast for sex with the victim.  Police did not describe the role Davall, 23, played in the operation.

Troopers also charged two men from the Utica area with rape, two others with endangering the welfare of a child, and two others with a criminal sex act.  Investigators did not release the age of the victim.

The bust came a little more than a week after New York City Police and the New York Attorney General’s Office announced the break-up for a $7 million, three-state prostitution and money laundering ring.  On Nov. 20, authorities arrested more than a dozen people and rescued two human trafficking victims.

A 16-month investigation into Somad Enterprises Inc. revealed it operated a “one-stop shopping vehicle for prostitution rings,” authorities described.  The ad agency created listings for escort services on television and websites, including Backpage.com.

The 180-count indictment charged 19 people and one corporation with enterprise corruption, money laundering, and prostitution, among other crimes.  So far, only 17 of those indicted have been arrested, and each faces up to 25 years in prison.  Reuters reported three prostitution clients also were charged.

These arrests highlighted a growing concern about sex trafficking in other parts of the United States, as well.  In Colorado, investigators said an aspiring model who disappeared last month may have fallen victim to trafficking.

Kara Nichols, 19, was last seen on Oct. 9 when she went to a modeling gig in Denver.  But according to an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office bulletin obtained by KKTV, investigators feared she became trapped in a sort of front for a modeling business.

A search of modeling and fashion websites authorities believe Nichols visited involved drugs and prostitution, according to police.

“Someone that has big dreams with limited resources sometimes turn to the internet,” Lt. Jeff Kramer said in an interview with the Daily News.  He hoped someone who knows something might come forward to shed light on what happened to Nichols.

Dangers like those that may have befallen Nichols have prompted the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to pass a motion to investigate sex trafficking.

County officials said the majority of youths arrested on prostitution charges in LA County are from the foster care system. Supervisor Michael Antonovich cited FBI and U.S. Department of Justice data showing the average entry age into prostitution in 12-years-old, and that participation lasts seven years.

For further information, please see:

The Corning Leader — Police: Upstate NY Sex Trafficking Ring Broken Up — 29 November 2012

The Huffington Post — LA Teen Prostitutes Come from Foster Homes a Majority of the Time, County Says — 28 November 2012

The Daily News — Missing Model May Be Victim of Colorado Sex Traffickers: Authorities — 26 November 2012

The Chicago Tribune — Human Trafficking Victims Freed in U.S. Prostitution Bust — 20 November 2012

Guatemalans Struggle to Overcome Atrocities of Rios Montt, Violence, Natural Disasters

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — In January 2012, former president, General Efrain Rios Montt was arrested and formally charged with ordering genocides throughout the country of Guatemala.  Although he is no longer in power, the country is still struggling with violence, drugs, and poverty.

Men, women, and children suffer from violence and natural disasters in Guatemala with little help in sight. (Image Courtesy of The Examiner/Getty Images)

 Under the reign of Rios Montt, hundreds of innocent men, women and children were killed.  Soldiers under Montt’s control raped women in front of their children.  Soldiers forced many teens to join the “civil self-defense group” and if they did not, the soldiers assumed they were guerillas, according to Amnesty International.

Peace accords were signed in 1990, and a minimal investigation into the thousands of murders began.  Current President, retired General Otto Perez Molina is trying to cover up the genocide, reports Amnesty International.  Although the country seems to be in a much better place, it is still struggling with high crime rates and violence, and also plagued by a bit of bad luck.

Last week, seven men were killed execution style at a medical complex in Guatemala City, according to Fox News.  It is believed that the Zeta drug cartel is responsible for the violence.  The Zeta drug gang moved from Mexico to Guatemala in 2008, reports Fox News and has caused problems for the country ever since.

According to Fox News, Guatemala has an average of 16 homicides a day.  It is considered one of Latin America’s most violent countries because of the local gang activity and other organized crime.

Besides the violence and drugs, Guatemala has fallen prey to Mother Nature.  Since November 7, 2012, Guatemala has felt over 100 earthquakes – most markedly the 7.4 magnitude earthquake on November 7 destroying much of the infrastructure there.  The Examiner reports that other natural disasters including floods, mudslides, volcanoes, and hurricanes have also devastated the country of 15 million people.

Guatemala’s economic situation is a problem when it comes to recovery.  The majority of the population does not have insurance and must rely on the government and outside governments for help, reported by The Examiner.  Now, after Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast of the United States, many donations will go there before sending the money to an outside country, reports The Examiner.

Overall, the population has not recovered from the genocides in the 1980s, and is continually held down by poor economy and natural disasters.  Many people seek justice through the conviction of General Efrain Rios Montt for the atrocities committed 30 years ago, hopefully bringing the country closure for a terrible period in its history.

For further information, please see:

Fox News Latino — Five Bodies Found in Vehicle in Southern Guatemala — 24 November 2012

Fox News Latino — Guatemala Blames Drug Gang for Massacre — 23 November 2012

Amnesty International — The Two Guatemalas of Rios Montt — 22 November 2012

The Examiner — Guatemalan Earthquakes and the U.S. War on Drugs in Perspective — 22 November 2012

Western New York Middle Schoolers Hold ‘Sleepover for Syria’

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States — Two dozen middle school students in western New York State recently held a unique event to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

More than two dozen students at Springville Middle School in western New York raised money for Syrian refugee relief at a sleepover event meant to give students a taste of the refugee experience. (Photo Courtesy of Springville Students for Human Rights)

The 25 students from Springville Middle School, about 35 miles south of Buffalo, held a “Sleepover for Syria” to simulate the refugee experience.  That included sleeping under a tarp supported only by four chairs and a sleeping bag without extensive air mattresses or pillows to use.

“Not all life is fair or perfect,” one student said in reflection of the 17-hour experience.  “Not everyone has it as good or as worse as you.”

Every participating student raised at least $25 in pledges that were donated to the International Rescue Committee’s Syrian Relief Fund.  All told, the students raised $500 for Syrian refugee relief.

“Refugees have it hard due to sickness, lack of food/water, and protection,” reflected another student.  “That’s all chance.  It could have been any of us starving or dying.”

During the program, the students had conversations via Skype with ABC News reporter Lara Setrakian from Dubai, as well as humanitarian Jordan Hattar from outside the refugee camps in the country of Jordan.  Setrakian also leads a worldwide effort called “Syria Deeply,” which aims to give people a new way to understand and engage in the crisis.

Students said the experience was eye-opening for them and made them more appreciative of their own lives.

“It is so important not to take anything for granted and, most importantly, connect on a human-to-human level with the refugees,” said one student.

For further information, please see:

Tumblr — IAmSyria — 16 November 2012

Springville Students for Human Rights — Sleepover for Syria — 15 November 2012

ABC Medianet — Lara Setrakian biography — 2012

Syria Deeply — Syria Deeply — 2012

U.S. Wants Answers in Murder of Honduran Teen by Military

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — American officials on Wednesday deplored the killing of a Honduran teenager by soldiers trained, vetted, and equipped by the U.S. government.

A picture of Ebed Yanes sits on his bed in Honduras. The 15-year-old was killed by soldiers who previously received training and support from the United States. (Photo Courtesy of Terra)

The Honduran military chased down and killed 15-year-old Ebed Yanes the night of May 26 after he drove through a military checkpoint.  His father, Wilfredo Yanes, uncovered a high-level cover-up, including new information leaked this week that the unit in question previously had U.S. support.

“The incident with Ebed Yanes was a tragedy, and we urge the Honduran government to assure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said State Department spokesperson William Ostick.

Not long after the May incident, U.S. Ambassador Lisa Kubiske discussed the case with the Honduran special prosecutor for human rights, as well as the country’s armed forces.  U.S. officials “encouraged them to investigate the case fully,” Ostick said.

The Associated Press reported that the United States had vetted the unit before providing it with the Ford F-350 truck that it used to chase the teen from the checkpoint.  By law, all foreign units must undergo a vetting process before receiving any U.S. military assistance equipment, or training.

By all accounts, Ebed was an obedient son who never ventured out after dark, but on the night he died, he was trying to meet a girl he had befriended on Facebook.  He never found her.

Ebed’s body was found dead by 1:30 a.m., slumped over his father’s motorcycle, which he used to travel to meet his new friend.  He had a bullet to the back of his head.

His father, Wilfredo Yanes, vowed not to let Ebed’s death be in vain.

“I’m not only reacting to the impotence that my son’s death made me feel,” he said.  “I can’t allow for rights to be violated, and even less if it’s my family’s right to life.”

A witness told Yanes he saw at least half a dozen masked soldiers in dark uniforms approach a body, poke it with their rifles, pick up empty bullet casings, and return to their unusually large pickup truck.  The next day, Yanes picked up the casings the soldiers failed to retrieve.

The military initially said Ebed brought this situation on himself.

“Everyone who does not stop at a military checkpoint is involved in something,” the army chief, Rene Osorio, told the press.  One soldier, however, later told his own family that he was forced to lie about the shooting.

Within three weeks, three soldiers were under arrest, one of whom faced murder charges.

U.S. officials said Ebed’s death will not lead to withholding of funds from Honduras because that was already triggered earlier this year after reports that a national police chief had ties to death squads.  Instead, it has called the U.S. support for current Honduran police and military into greater question.

For further information, please see:

ABC News — US Deplores Murder of Honduran Teen by Military — 15 November 2012

The New York Times — Killing of Honduran Teenager Could Jeopardize U.S. Aid — 15 November 2012

Terra — EEUU Alarmado por Uso de Ayuda Militar en Honduras — 15 November 2012

The Republic — A Father Crusades to Get Justice for Slain Teenage Son–and Fix a Profoundly Broken Honduras — 12 November 2012